Confess
by Krysana
Summary: Shonen ai, Chi x Tas, An old friend helps Tasuki realise it's time to confess... [Oneshot, Complete]


Confess  
  
A Fushigi Yuugi fan fiction  
  
By Krysana  
  
Disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi belongs to Yuu Watase.  
  
Pairing/s: Chi/Tas  
  
Dedication: For my ne-chan, Moonraven, hope you like this! *huggles* And because I'm hopelessly procrastinating on my WK fic... *laugh* I know you'll forgive me after this!  
  
Author's note: Tasuki POV. Set after the OVAs, but the other seishi aren¡¦t reincarnated yet so it¡¦s just Tas and Chiri. This is my first FY fic. I'd love to know what you think of it!  
  
.  
  
  
  
Tasuki lowered the empty sake cup onto the tavern bench. The bottle of sake was empty in front of him matching the cup sitting beside it.  
  
"Another?" The bored bartender looked up when Tasuki snapped his fingers for attention.  
  
Tasuki nodded and a fresh bottle replaced the empty one. How many bottles was this now? Six, eight, ten?  
  
But the alcohol wasn't doing what it should be doing. The memories in his head whispered to him, constantly replaying themselves in his mind. The shocked look on Chichiri's face was almost burned onto his retinas. How could he have been so stupid?  
  
****  
  
It all started when they¡¦d arrived at that last little mountain town.  
  
The villagers were friendly and impressed by the Suzaku warriors and Tasuki had almost laughed at the wide-eyed looks in the eyes of the children as their mothers pointed at the two strangers.  
  
¡§Look! It¡¦s Tasuki-sama! See his tessen! It shoots holy fire! Like this!¡¨ A kid demonstrated what he thought the weapon did.  
  
Tasuki almost snorted aloud at the high-pitched comment. He was considering showing that little punk exactly how it worked when he felt a restraining hand on his arm.  
  
¡§Behave Tasuki-kun no da,¡¨ was the quiet response from the monk.  
  
Tasuki started with surprise. When had Chichiri got so good at reading his damn mind? ¡§I wasn¡¦t gonna do anything Chiri... Well nothing too bad anyway...¡¨  
  
Chichiri had frowned slightly and Tasuki subsided grumpily. What did Chichiri think he was gonna do anyway? Eat the kids? He grinned toothily at the thought and inadvertently sent a few of the younger kids running for the safety of their mother¡¦s skirts.  
  
Chichiri and he had gotten settled at the local inn/tavern. The best rooms on the house. The innkeeper seemed highly pleased they¡¦d chosen to stay at his place and proclaimed that they were going to be hosting a feast that night. He¡¦d scurried off to the kitchen for organisation leaving them in the care of his oldest daughter Mira, a slim pretty girl with a smile on her face which wasn¡¦t reflected in her eyes. That smile reminded him of someone. Now who was it?  
  
So he really should¡¦ve picked up on the look that the innkeeper¡¦s daughter¡¦s face as she showed them to their rooms. But he hadn¡¦t. Hindsight was always a bitch, wasn¡¦t it?  
  
****  
  
¡§A soft bed and a feast just for us. Just so long as there¡¦s plenty o¡¦ sake, that¡¦s all I need.¡¨ Tasuki appeared at the door of Chichiri¡¦s room after only giving his own room a cursory glance.  
  
Chichiri looked back at him from his position by the window. ¡§Tasuki-kun, you drink too much, na no da¡¨ He sighed in mock exasperation.  
  
Tasuki grinned and walked over to bounce onto Chichiri¡¦s bed, settling onto the bed comfortably. ¡§Nah. With the way we¡¦re travelling, we only get ta a town every few weeks or so. How can I drink too much?¡¨ He smiled innocently at Chichiri¡¦s pained smile. ¡§I¡¦ll be good, I promise.¡¨  
  
¡§I¡¦ll hold you to that no da.¡¨ Chichiri returned his gaze to whatever he¡¦d been looking at before Tasuki¡¦s entrance.  
  
¡§You okay man?¡¨ Tasuki tried to hide his worry.  
  
¡§I¡¦m fine, na no da.¡¨ Chichiri turned back and the smiling face of his mask masked all other emotions. Tasuki wasn¡¦t fooled. Too often lately Chichiri had been staring into space. Did he think Tasuki was an idiot or something not to notice?  
  
A knock on the door interrupted the moment as Mira announced that some of the village elders were waiting for them in the tavern¡¦s main room.  
  
¡§Let¡¦s go no da.¡¨ Chichiri exited the room and Tasuki followed him.  
  
When they reached the main room, Chichiri was quickly claimed in conversation by the village priest and Tasuki by the leader. Good sake was being poured and after noting that Chichiri seemed to be enjoying himself, Tasuki relaxed and allowed his hosts to ply him with alcohol and food.  
  
¡§Tell us about the miko, Tasuki-sama!¡¨  
  
¡§Ee? The miko? I¡¦d die for her, but she¡¦s nothing but trouble like all women ya know.¡¨ Laughter answered his comment and Tasuki grinned as he downed his cup of sake.  
  
****   
  
After a boisterous night, stuffed full of good home-cooking and with way more than his fair share of sake in his system, a sleepy Tasuki decided to call it a night.  
  
Chichiri had already made an early exit. He¡¦d disappeared before the drinking games had begun, citing reasons of meditation and preparation.  
  
Tasuki had planned to retreat as well but the villagers were not to be denied. So Tasuki had settled down to join in the fun and show the challengers just how much a celestial warrior could really drink. And there were a lot of challengers.  
  
¡§I¡¦ll take ya all on!¡¨ Tasuki¡¦s competitive nature kicked in.  
  
A few hours later Tasuki was feeling pleasantly buzzed and very sleepy. It was really no surprise that the alcohol had affected him. He¡¦d been on the road with Chichiri for over two weeks without visiting any villages. They¡¦d been camping in the forests and hiking during the day. Peaceful, companionable and... worrying.  
  
Tasuki¡¦s thoughts drifted off to a place where they¡¦d been visiting a lot lately.  
  
He knew Chichiri was on a pilgrimage of sorts and planned to visit a holy shrine in the nearby mountains. But the blue-haired man had seemed slightly anxious over the past weeks. Nothing obvious to a bystander, but for the close friends who had been travelling together for so long, Tasuki could tell that something was up.  
  
Damn it, but Chiri didn¡¦t usually have that worried look on his face. And he kept trying to hide it from Tasuki when he thought the fire seishi was looking at him! What was up with that?!  
  
¡§Ya okay Chiri?¡¨  
  
¡§I¡¦m fine Tasuki-kun no da.¡¨  
  
This was a common conversation recently. Each time Chichiri had just given him a bright smile and a polite rebuttal. Tasuki was worried, but he knew that Chichiri wouldn¡¦t tell him anything until he was ready. Chichiri was stubborn like that, and would change the conversation with comments like, ¡§This will be our last village before we begin the trek up the mountain na no da. Be sure to pick up all the food supplies we need Tasuki-kun.¡¨  
  
Just this morning Chichiri had donned his mask again and it was impossible to tell what Chichiri¡¦s true expression was underneath the mask. Tasuki didn¡¦t understand why Chichiri would always put the mask back on when they were in the company of other people. The scar was deep, but it wasn¡¦t hideous or anything. It was just a part of Chichiri that if people couldn¡¦t accept then, then Tasuki thought that was their problem.  
  
¡§Why do ya use that mask all the time?¡¨ He¡¦d asked, rather tempted to steal it and throw it into the river, but he knew Chichiri would just conjure up another one.  
  
¡§Not everyone can accept my appearance as easily as you Tasuki-kun.¡¨ And Chichiri had smiled and put the mask on and that was that.  
  
Tasuki felt the warm glow deep inside of himself at the thought that Chichiri was comfortable enough to remove the mask when it was just the two of them on the road together.  
  
They were friends and partners. Well that was how Tasuki thought of Chichiri. Well to be honest, his thoughts weren¡¦t quite in the league of friendship.  
  
For the past few months Tasuki had been noticing the blue-haired mage. Like really noticing him. Chichiri was so damn graceful in his movements. That slim lithe body honed for battle, that even doing ordinary things like walking, fishing and making campfires, Chichiri¡¦s actions were eye catching.  
  
And when Chichiri removed his mask, Tasuki used the opportunities to surreptitiously admire the beautiful brown eye, smooth skin and the pert line of Chichiri¡¦s nose. And the way Chichiri¡¦s mouth smiled and caused little creases at the corner of his eye that caused Tasuki to stop breathing for a moment. Chichiri was handsome, but when had he become so heart-stoppingly beautiful?  
  
But Tasuki hadn¡¦t quite gotten up the nerve to tell his friend. There was no way that Chichiri would feel the same way back, and then their relationship would be weird with this unrequited love hanging between them. So Tasuki left it alone and continued in their current state of travelling companions.  
  
Now why wouldn¡¦t the damn monk tell him what was wrong?  
  
****  
  
Tasuki came back to his senses at the sound of laughter. He glared with bleary eyes at the remaining villagers.  
  
¡§Watcha laughing at?¡¨ He growled, baring his fangs in a semi-threatening pose.  
  
¡§You¡¦ve had enough seishounen. You still need years of practice to drink us under the table.¡¨ The three old men at the end of the table laughed noisily at Tasuki¡¦s indignant expression.  
  
¡§Bring it on ojiisan! I¡¦m nowhere near done yet.¡¨ Tasuki¡¦s competitive instincts wouldn¡¦t give in so easily even though he¡¦d just thought to himself that he should be getting to bed.  
  
¡§Ano... Tasuki-sama, maybe you should be retiring to bed soon. I think Chichiri-sama plans an early start tomorrow.¡¨ The innkeeper bustled over.  
  
And somehow Tasuki found himself being helped up the stairs by an over-solicitous Mira who¡¦d insisted that it was her duty to her honoured customer since her father was busy.  
  
She¡¦d opened the door to his room and helped him over to the bed. He¡¦d sagged onto the bed, too tired to do anything but close his eyes.  
  
¡§Thanks.¡¨ He felt obliged to thank the girl. Must be Chichiri¡¦s influence on him.  
  
He¡¦d heard the sound of the door closing and was just on the verge of falling asleep when he felt hands pulling at his boots. What the? It must be Chichiri who was helping him. His travelling partner had put him to bed on the previous occasions when he¡¦d over imbibed.  
  
¡§Thanks Chiri,¡¨ Tasuki had mumbled, as he drifted just a little bit deeper into slumber.  
  
Then the hands were on his shirt buttons. Tasuki¡¦s fuzzy mind went ¡¥Huh?¡¦ for just a moment. Chichiri usually left him in his clothes and then gave him stern looks on the next morning when he awoke with crumpled clothes which stank of smoke and alcohol. Tasuki would give him a lazy grin back and Chichiri would sigh and shake his head. It was almost a routine.  
  
So his tired mind gave a little cheer that, hey perhaps Chichiri wanted to look at his naked chest. Damn but this was a good dream!  
  
The hands moved to his belt and Tasuki shifted his hips. His dream lover sure seemed impatient tonight. His pants were removed and Tasuki noted the faint sounds of someone disrobing before the bedcovers lifted and the bedsprings shifted as a second weight entered the bed.  
  
A slender arm had draped over his chest and Tasuki remembered thinking puzzledly that Chichiri¡¦s arm sure didn¡¦t weigh much. Then he¡¦d felt the breasts pressing against the side of his chest as a decidedly female form moved against his prone body.  
  
He¡¦d awoken in an instant, eyes flying open and he saw a swath of long dark hair. That bloody Mira!  
  
It was at that moment he realised who Mira¡¦s smile reminded him of. That bastard Nakago. A smile that looked pleasant until you realised there was no answering warmth in the attached eyes.  
  
And then there had been a knock at the door.  
  
¡§Tasuki-kun? Are you still awake no da?¡¨ Chichiri¡¦s voice travelled through the door.  
  
Tasuki had frozen. Ah fuck! What to do? If he stayed quiet then Chichiri would go away, right?  
  
Mira had taken the opportunity to snuggle up to him again, so Tasuki hurriedly pulled the blanket over her head. If Chichiri looked in, then all he¡¦d see was a blanketed form.  
  
Seconds after he¡¦d finished pulling the blanket in place, the door opened quietly and Chichiri had poked his head in the room. Tasuki held his breath as Chichiri entered the room and crossed over to the bed.  
  
¡§Aa... Tasuki-kun, who told you to drink so much, na no da?¡¨ But there was no rancour in Chichiri¡¦s tone, just a gentle scolding, as Tasuki felt fingers brush his bangs off his closed eyes.  
  
Chichiri turned away and Tasuki cranked open one eye to watch the other man cross the room to place a letter on the table. Chichiri was almost out of the room when it had happened.  
  
Mira whispered loudly, ¡§Is he gone yet, Tasuki-sama?¡¨  
  
Tasuki had wanted to sink into the ground at the point. Why hadn¡¦t he gagged the bitch?  
  
Chichiri had spun around. Mira had taken the opportunity to sit up, letting the blanket fall off her naked form and exposing Tasuki¡¦s similarly undressed state.  
  
Tasuki had tried to spring out of bed to reach for his partner. Tasuki was the celestial warrior gifted with speed but with a blanket tangled around his body and a female grasping his arm, instead he fell to the floor with a loud bump. Tasuki already knew that when he looked up that Chichiri was gone.  
  
Tasuki swore loudly. He stood up and growled at the girl in his bed, who¡¦d merely smiled and flipped her hair.  
  
¡§What the fuck are ya doing here?¡¨  
  
Then if that wasn¡¦t enough, the innkeeper had appeared at his now open door to find his naked daughter in Tasuki¡¦s room.  
  
Tasuki had been hard-pressed not to strangle the girl. And people wondered why he didn¡¦t like women?! This was a one example of why! Women could be so bossy, assuming that they were the be-all-end-all of a guy¡¦s life. He didn¡¦t think so.  
  
¡§So let me get this. Ya wanted to get out of ya boring village and live the life of luxury in the Konan palace?¡¨ Tasuki wanted to slap the bitch, really he did. Did she really think he would marry her?  
  
¡§Well for a start, me and Chichiri have been travelling for... let¡¦s see now... over eight months already. And I don¡¦t even live in the palace. My home is in the mountains with my family, the famous Mt. Leikaku bandits.¡¨ Tasuki had smiled broadly at the growing horror in Mira¡¦s eyes. Yep his bandit family were certainly well known!  
  
Mira had finally broken and left crying with her very apologetic father. Her bloody slow father who felt the need to apologise numerous times and wouldn¡¦t leave him alone, damn it! Tasuki had had to practically shove the couple out of his room! Didn¡¦t they see he had a partner to find!  
  
Tasuki had quickly donned clothes and ran like the wind to Chichiri¡¦s room but the room was empty. He cast about frantically for a sign of his partner, a note, anything, but there was nothing.  
  
Tasuki sank down to the floor, pressing a hand to his throbbing head. What a damn mess! And where was his friend? He needed to explain what had happened!  
  
Hold on! The letter! Tasuki ran back to his room and ripped open the seal.  
  
The note read: Tasuki. There¡¦s something I need to take care of and since I can¡¦t sleep, I¡¦m going to go ahead. I¡¦ll meet you at midday at the lake near the boulder shaped like a dog. Ask the innkeeper for directions.  
  
Tasuki sighed again. He didn¡¦t want to talk to the innkeeper again that night. He¡¦d already been sharp with the man, who had been horrified to find out his daughter¡¦s intentions. The man would undoubtedly start apologising again and that would waste more of Tasuki¡¦s time as well as tax his little remaining patience.  
  
His blood was already rising at the thought.  
  
He¡¦d have to wait until tomorrow to meet Chichiri and explain. He lay on the bed but even when he closed his eyes, he couldn¡¦t sleep. He tossed and turned for long minutes before sitting up, still as fully awake as before he¡¦d lain down. Nope, he had to go after Chichiri tonight.  
  
Tasuki threw his belongings together and rushed down to the bar room. There were a number of people sleeping on the floor, being the remnants of the drinking party. He quickly woke up an old man and obtained directions to the place on the Chichiri¡¦s note.  
  
¡§C¡¦mon buddy. The boulder that looks like a dog... Yeah... No I don¡¦t have anymore sake. Gimme directions!¡¨ He shook the man a little more roughly.  
  
With the instructions at last, Tasuki slipped out the front door into the moonlight.  
  
****  
  
After passing the same rock for the third time, Tasuki admitted to himself. He was lost. This was what came of getting directions from a drunken man sleeping on the floor of a tavern. He kicked the rock in frustration.  
  
What to do? He¡¦d have to make his way back to the inn for better instructions. And he was getting kinda tired. And Chichiri would understand when he explained it. Rushing after Chichiri when he didn¡¦t even know where the other man was going to, did seem a bit stupid now on reflection.  
  
He sighed as he sat on the grass. He looked up to the starry skies, searching for the light marking Chichiri¡¦s constellation. The familiar pattern soothed him as he finally let the activities of the day catch up with his body.  
  
¡¥Suzaku please take care of Chiri,¡¦ was his silent prayer before he drifted off to sleep.  
  
****  
  
The sun was bright when Tasuki finally awoke. What the? Of all the days to oversleep! He cursed himself for drinking too much the previous night all the way on the run back to the village.  
  
¡§Tasuki-sama!¡¨ The kids exchanged wary glances.  
  
¡§There¡¦s somewhere I need ta get to and I need directions, can ya tell me how ta get to the lake near a boulder shaped like a dog?¡¨ He looked hopefully at the children.  
  
The children were all trying to answer at once and not very coherently at that. Tasuki regretted asking them when salvation arrived in the form of one of the mother¡¦s of the children.  
  
Tasuki quickly repeated his question. After she finished with the directions, he realised where he¡¦d gone wrong the previous night. A left turn at the path instead of a right. Baka baka baka.  
  
¡§Thanks!¡¨ He turned to leave, hoping that he¡¦d be able to make it there in time.  
  
****  
  
Tasuki was fast and desperation leant an added burst to his speed, but it was still well after midday when he arrived at the lake. His heart sank as no blue-haired figure was in sight. He sank onto the grassy bank as he breathed deeply, trying to catch his breath.  
  
¡§Chiri, where are you?¡¨ he shouted, but there was no reply.  
  
****  
  
By sunset, Tasuki realised that Chichiri wasn¡¦t coming to meet him. Should he go back to the village that they¡¦d stayed at last night, stay where he was or go forward to the next village. Which one would Chichiri go to?  
  
Tasuki wasn¡¦t in the mood to see Mira again, and it was driving him nuts waiting by himself so he decided to go on to the next village.  
  
As Tasuki walked, he decided it was no fun walking alone. And it was no fun having no one to argue with. Well, that was debateable in whether Chichiri really argued with him, but well, he yelled about stuff and Chichiri would usually smile and try to placate him. He smiled at the thought.  
  
He needed to find Chiri, nothing was fun without his friend by his side.  
  
****  
  
But no one had seen hide or hair of Chichiri, so finally Tasuki settled down dispiritedly at the tavern with the first of his numerous bottles of sake.  
  
¡§So stupid... shoulda realised... her eyes were wrong...¡¨ He shook his head in disgust, but stopped quickly as the action made his head spin.  
  
¡§Woman trouble?¡¨ A light melodious voice spoke up next to him.  
  
It could be female or that of a young boy perhaps. It was all a bit too much to puzzle out. Tasuki turned his head to peer groggily at the stranger who had sat down next to him. The stranger¡¦s face was covered with a hooded cloak and all Tasuki could see was the shadow of a face in the dim light.  
  
¡§Yeah. Wanna drink?¡¨ Tasuki held up his sake bottle, pouring his new acquaintance a glass with surprisingly steady hands.  
  
¡§Kampai.¡¨ The stranger raised their glass.  
  
¡§Kampai.¡¨ Tasuki drained yet another glass.  
  
¡§So what happened?¡¨ The stranger¡¦s voice tickled at Tasuki¡¦s mind. Where had he heard this voice before? His alcohol-fogged mind however wasn¡¦t behaving and refused to answer so Tasuki gave up. It was nice to be able to tell his sorry story to a sympathetic ear, the darkness and alcohol having loosened his tongue.  
  
¡§Stupid bitch pulled a dirty trick. She crawled into my bed naked.¡¨ Tasuki leaned his chin on his arm. ¡§I didn¡¦t ask her ta join me. An¡¦ then... he saw her.¡¨  
  
¡§Who saw her?¡¨ came the quiet prompting.  
  
¡§He did.¡¨ Tasuki¡¦s head drooped onto his arm, almost pressing his forehead against the bar. In his mind, he added silently ¡¥The person who means the most to me in the world.¡¦  
  
¡§Then what did you do?¡¨  
  
Tasuki straightened up, taking a gulp from his refilled glass. When had he refilled it? Oh well never mind. ¡§Then he ran away an¡¦ ¡¥fore I could go after him, her father turned up an¡¦ I had to defend myself from her anxious papa. Then he wouldn¡¦t stop apologising, then when I finally got away from them, he was... gone...¡¨ Tasuki¡¦s indignant expression changed to almost a whisper on the last word.  
  
¡§And then?¡¨  
  
¡§I tried ta go after him, but I got wrong directions so I couldn¡¦t find him.¡¨ Tasuki turned mournful eyes to his new friend.  
  
A hand pressed on his shoulder, comforting in its weight. Tasuki welcomed the touch, this stranger was strangely in touch with his mood. A simple touch was exactly what he needed; it conveyed comfort, acceptance, sympathy and comradeship all at once.  
  
¡§Then I was late to the place where I was s¡¦posed to meet him, but he wasn¡¦t there. Waited all afternoon but he didn¡¦t come. Don¡¦t know where he is now. Thought he would be here in this town, but no one¡¦s seen him.¡¨ Tasuki sighed into his drink.  
  
¡§What will you do now?¡¨  
  
¡§I¡¦ll go after him of course! I gotta find him an¡¦ explain what happened to him. We¡¦re partners... we¡¦ve been together for so long... I don¡¦t wanna be without him...¡¨  
  
¡§So how do you really feel about him?¡¨  
  
¡§I¡¦m... in love with him.¡¨ Tasuki glanced at his companion to see how his new drinking companion would take this news. Would there be shock and disgust at Tasuki¡¦s deepest secret?  
  
¡§Why don¡¦t you tell him?¡¨ Tasuki didn¡¦t even realise how the stranger knew that Tasuki had never revealed his secret.  
  
¡§I was gonna tell him... someday. I know he had a fianc?e in the past an¡¦ she meant the world to him. He was devastated when she died.¡¨  
  
¡§When did this happen?¡¨  
  
¡§A long time ago, over eight years ago.¡¨  
  
¡§That¡¦s a long time ago.¡¨  
  
¡§Yeah... But I think the main reason I haven¡¦t told him is that I¡¦m scared of what will happen. If he doesn¡¦t feel anything for me, then things will be awkward an¡¦ maybe... he¡¦ll go away an¡¦ I won¡¦t see him anymore...¡¨ Tasuki¡¦s voice trailed off unhappily.  
  
¡§My friend, I think you need to be true to yourself and to your own heart. If this man is worthy of your love then you should tell him, especially after the situation he saw you in.¡¨ Tasuki¡¦s companion rose to leave.  
  
¡§Have ta find him first.¡¨ Tasuki sighed into his cup.  
  
¡§Go back to the lake where you were to have met him. I believe I heard that a blue haired monk was seen travelling to that area this afternoon.¡¨  
  
¡§But he wasn¡¦t there today.¡¨ Tasuki¡¦s eyes brightened hopefully. Was Chiri in the area? This was the first person to have any information on Chichiri¡¦s whereabouts.   
  
¡§I heard it from a peddler on the outskirts of the city.¡¨ The stranger pulled at the cloak, settling it into a stylish wave over slim shoulders.   
  
¡§Thanks.¡¨ Tasuki squinted up at the figure. It really was disturbingly familiar. A lock of purple hair fell out into view before it was quickly tucked back into the hood by graceful white hands.  
  
¡§Anytime.¡¨ And then the cloaked person was gone.  
  
Tasuki blinked bewildered eyes at the empty stool beside him. Purple hair, a liking for sake, that flip of the cloak on departure coupled with the fact that Tasuki didn¡¦t remember saying anything about a blue-haired monk. His lips curved into his first smile of the day. Nuriko was still looking after him.  
  
¡§Thanks Nuriko,¡¨ he said aloud and he knew without a doubt that the super strong seishi heard him.  
  
****  
  
Tasuki awoke with a dry mouth and a faint headache pulsing at his temples. These faded into insignificance as he remembered the incidents of the past night. Had Nuriko really been there? Was it all a dream? Or maybe it was his conscience talking to him, telling him what to do.  
  
Tasuki rolled over, propping one hand under the pillow as he thought. Nah, he thought smiling. It had definitely been Nuriko. Only that purple-haired bishounen would still be watching over him and worrying about his love life! Nuriko, one of his best friends, he really missed Nuriko¡¦s mischievous laugh and zest for life.  
  
¡§I look forward to the time when I see ya again, ya muscle bound freak,¡¨ he whispered.  
  
Was it just his imagination or was the reply, ¡¥And you too fang boy¡¦ whispered back into his ear.  
  
Now what to do today? Nuriko¡¦s advice was good. He¡¦d been obsessing over Chichiri for too long now, watching him, wishing for a moment in which he could reveal his feelings. His eyes were always drawn to the mage and Tasuki knew Chichiri had caught him a few times, but Tasuki had been quick to cover up just what he was looking at.  
  
Okay. It was time. He was gonna do it. He was gonna tell Chichiri his true feelings. If Chichiri couldn¡¦t accept his feelings then he would return to Mt Leikaku and his family there. Ooh... Now that was a depressing thought.  
  
Tasuki suppressed the impulse to stay in bed and pull the covers over his head. This plan was definitely harder to put into action than words. He grit his teeth and headed for the bathroom.  
  
****  
  
It was close to midday that Tasuki arrived back at the same lake. Once again, there was no one waiting there to greet him. He sighed and settled down in front of the serene lake to think and plot what he was going to say to Chichiri when he finally found the man.  
  
It was a sunny day and somehow Tasuki found himself drifting off to sleep.  
  
He was awakened by the action of a gentle hand pushing his shoulder.  
  
¡§Tasuki-kun. Wake up no da.¡¨  
  
¡§Gimme a few more minutes Chiri,¡¨ mumbled Tasuki, turning over as he hunched away from his awakener.  
  
Hold on. Why was there grass sticking in his nose? And who was waking him up?  
  
Tasuki sat up in a hurry, nearly slamming his head into the smiling face of Chichiri. Well, it was actually a smiling mask he¡¦d nearly head butted, buy hey it was Chiri!  
  
¡§Chiri! When didja get here? I¡¦ve been looking all over for ya!¡¨ Tasuki grabbed onto Chichiri¡¦s arm to check for sure that the man was actually in front of him.  
  
Chichiri smiled and Tasuki felt his own mouth turning up into a big smile as Chichiri¡¦s arm remained solid within his grasp.  
  
¡§I just got here no da. We missed each other yesterday but I hoped you would be here waiting for me today no da. My errand took longer than expected and I didn¡¦t arrive here until just after sunset.¡¨ Chichiri seated himself next to Tasuki.  
  
¡§Aa... Musta just missed ya then. About yesterday Chiri, ya gotta believe me! That girl, she crawled into my bed by herself. I would never do something like that!¡¨ Tasuki¡¦s grip tightened as he waited anxiously for Chichiri¡¦s response.  
  
¡§I didn¡¦t think you would do something like that, but you are a man, it wasn¡¦t completely unexpected no da... Aa... Tasuki-kun, can you let go of my arm no da?¡¨  
  
¡§Gomen! Gomen!¡¨ Tasuki released his friend¡¦s arm, pushing up Chichiri¡¦s sleeve to frown apologetically at the red mark he¡¦d made.  
  
¡§It¡¦s fine. Don¡¦t worry, na no da.¡¨ Chichiri smiled reassuringly back at him.  
  
¡§But you¡¦ve got your mask on! How can I tell for sure?¡¨ Tasuki frowned at the smiling mask and was immediately gratified when Chichiri removed it.  
  
¡§See, I¡¦m fine na no da.¡¨ Chichiri¡¦s brown eye looked over at him and there was a genuine smile reflected in its depths.  
  
Tasuki sighed in relief but found he missed holding onto a piece of Chichiri. It had only been a day and a half since he¡¦d last seen the mage, and they¡¦d certainly been separated for longer periods than that, but somehow the past day had seemed like an eternity.  
  
¡§I feel bad. Let me rub your arm.¡¨ Tasuki reached out for Chichiri¡¦s slightly reddened arm and began to softly rub the mark that he¡¦d caused. Chichiri¡¦s arm was firm and strong in his grasp, the lean muscles and smooth skin rippling under his touch.  
  
¡§It¡¦s fine Tasuki-kun no da!¡¨ Chichiri protested. ¡§Fine then,¡¨ he acquiesced as Tasuki refused to give up his arm.  
  
¡§It should have been unexpected.¡¨ Tasuki continued after a moment¡¦s pause. ¡§You¡¦ve known me for how long? Do ya seriously think I would have been interested in a woman like that? I don¡¦t even like women remember!¡¨  
  
¡§You liked Miaka,¡¨ came Chichiri¡¦s reminder. His tone had turned serious and he had dropped the ¡¥no da¡¦s¡¦ from his speech.  
  
¡§But the miko is different! She even managed to turn Nuriko¡¦s interest! An¡¦ we all know how long Nuriko was after her Hotohori-sama!¡¨  
  
¡§True.¡¨ Chichiri nodded thoughtfully.  
  
¡§As if I would be interested in that piece of work! Che! Chiri, don¡¦t you know me better than that?¡¨ Tasuki turned reproachful eyes to the blue-haired man beside him.  
  
Chichiri didn¡¦t look at him as he continued to gaze at the lake before them. ¡§Sometimes it doesn¡¦t matter if you¡¦re interested or not. Men sometimes have... urges... and they¡¦ll bed whatever¡¦s available.¡¨  
  
Tasuki stiffened. ¡§Chiri? You¡¦d do that?¡¨ He stared at his friend in astonishment.  
  
¡§Of course not!¡¨ Chichiri blushed.  
  
¡§But you think I would?!¡¨ Tasuki hovered between being angry that Chichiri thought he would do that to wanting to glomp the kawaii blushing mage.  
  
¡§You are young and handsome. It would only be a matter of time before someone caught your interest.¡¨ Chichiri plucked at the grass with his free hand, the other arm still safely ensconced in Tasuki¡¦s hands.  
  
Tasuki took a breath. Okay, here was the moment. ¡¥Nuriko, give me the courage.¡¦  
  
¡§As a matter of fact, there is someone that I¡¦m interested in,¡¨ Tasuki released Chichiri¡¦s arm. His palms were beginning to sweat slightly in his nervousness so he tucked them under his legs.  
  
¡§Oh.¡¨ Chichiri still wouldn¡¦t look at him. ¡§I¡¦m happy for you Tasuki-kun. So tell me about her.¡¨ There was a minuscule pause before the last word.   
  
¡§It¡¦s not a her.¡¨ Tasuki waited for Chichiri¡¦s reaction.  
  
¡§Oh... Tell me about him then.¡¨ Chichiri¡¦s eye closed, as if the effort of keeping it open was just too much.  
  
¡§He¡¦s gentle an¡¦ kind. He cares about people an¡¦ always looks for the best in everyone he meets. He¡¦s a protector an¡¦ deeply loyal. An¡¦ he¡¦s the most selfless person I¡¦ve ever met...¡¨ Tasuki¡¦s voice cracked a little. ¡§An¡¦ he¡¦s the most beautiful person in the world.¡¨  
  
¡§I see...¡¨ Chichiri¡¦s head suddenly snapped up and he looked at Tasuki frantically. ¡§But Tasuki-kun! You¡¦ve been travelling with me for eight months straight now! Forgive me! I would never have asked you to come with me if there was someone else that you should be with!¡¨ Chichiri was practically wringing his hands in dismay.  
  
¡§Chiri...¡¨  
  
¡§You should hurry back to your lover, Tasuki-kun! Why didn¡¦t you say something?!¡¨ Chichiri made a move as if to get up.  
  
Tasuki once again thanked Suzaku for his seishi ability of speed. He grabbed Chichiri¡¦s arm, pulling the older man back down and rolling over the mage¡¦s body, pinning him to the ground. It was now or never.  
  
¡§Chiri, I¡¦m in love with ya.¡¨ There he¡¦d said it.  
  
Chichiri¡¦s body went from struggling to deathly still. That wasn¡¦t a good sign, was it?  
  
¡§You can¡¦t be...¡¨ Tasuki looked into Chichiri¡¦s eye. Astonishment, bewilderment and shock were all reflected in the brown depths and his mouth was open in a perfect O shape.  
  
¡§Well I am.¡¨ Tasuki took a deep breath. This was not going so well.  
  
So far Chichiri looked and sounded too shocked for him to even hazard a guess as to what the blue-haired man was thinking. It could be the last time that he¡¦d ever see the well seishi again. Might as well give him something to remember, huh?  
  
That said, Tasuki leaned forward to press his lips against an open mouth Chichiri.  
  
Those perfect lips that haunted Tasuki¡¦s dreams were as soft and pliant as he¡¦d imagined them to be and Tasuki couldn¡¦t resist stealing a taste of Chichiri¡¦s open mouth. It was only when he realised he was kissing a statue, a delectable statue but a statue nonetheless, that Tasuki considered his actions.  
  
¡¥Oh shit! I bet I¡¦ve freaked him out completely.¡¦ Tasuki pulled away from Chichiri quickly, trying to place some distance between them. ¡§Gomen Chiri!¡¨  
  
But he wasn¡¦t quite fast enough because Chichiri¡¦s hands grabbed onto his arms pulling an off-balance Tasuki back down. The redhead fell back to his previous position and squirmed as he tried to pull away from the undoubtedly furious mage.  
  
Except his movements seemed to have provoked another reaction altogether.  
  
Tasuki stilled as he realised what exactly was pressing against his stomach. He looked up wide-eyed to meet Chichiri¡¦s amused gaze.  
  
And then Chichiri¡¦s hand was pushing at the back of his head and Tasuki couldn¡¦t have stopped the downward motion even if Nakago had appeared beside them.  
  
The kiss started out gentle but quickly became increasingly passionate, tongues aggressively duelling, each wanting more of the exquisite sensations they were generating.  
  
Tasuki finally pulled away to breathe, panting as he looked down at the kiss swollen lips of Chichiri beneath him.  
  
¡§What? When? How?¡¨ he stammered out.  
  
Chichiri laughed. ¡§And I thought I was the incoherent one.¡¨ He reached out to run his fingers down Tasuki¡¦s face. ¡§I was so shocked when you said you loved me, because I¡¦ve been in love with you for the longest time.¡¨ Chichiri watched as the words registered and Tasuki¡¦s face transformed into the biggest grin.  
  
¡§Let¡¦s sit up for a moment. There¡¦s something I need to tell you.¡¨  
  
They arranged themselves comfortably side by side, with Tasuki holding onto one of Chichiri¡¦s hands.  
  
¡§I wanted to tell you for so long now. I know that you noticed that I¡¦ve been a bit distracted lately. I made up my mind that I would tell you soon. But there was something I needed to do before I could do that. Tasuki-kun, do you know where we are?¡¨ Chichiri sounded unexpectedly serious.  
  
¡§Huh?¡¨ Tasuki tried to think, but it was difficult when his mind just wanted to float off into happy dreams of him and Chiri. But he really wanted to know what had been worrying his friend lately, so he concentrated hard. ¡§That village was called Kotou wasn¡¦t it?¡¨  
  
¡§We¡¦re near the village called Souryu. It¡¦s the town where I was born and my family used to live.¡¨  
  
¡§Used to live?¡¨  
  
¡§My family were all killed in an unexpected flood one day. My best friend Hikou died as well and that was where I received this injury.¡¨ Chichiri waved vaguely at his face.  
  
¡§Hikou? That was that water guy who we fought an¡¦ he put a spell on me that made me attack Miaka!¡¨ Tasuki sat up a little straighter.  
  
¡§Yes he did.¡¨ Chichiri smiled sadly. ¡§But I thank Suzaku that I was able to save him at the end and his soul was able to go to heaven, free and at peace.¡¨  
  
¡§Oh Chiri!¡¨ Tasuki snuggled a little closer, conveying sympathy and acceptance at once. ¡§You don¡¦t hafta tell me anymore if it¡¦s too hard¡¨  
  
¡§It¡¦s okay Tasuki-kun. I want to tell you everything.¡¨ Chichiri smiled as he looked over at Tasuki¡¦s earnest brown eyes.  
  
¡§There was someone else who died in that flood. Her name was Kouran.¡¨  
  
¡§Your fianc?e?¡¨ Tasuki held his breath. It was the first time Chichiri had mentioned her name.  
  
¡§Yes, my ex-fiancee. She broke off our engagement before she died. Even though it was an arranged marriage, I did love her. At the time, I didn¡¦t understand why she ended our relationship and I felt guilty that I wasn¡¦t there to help either my family or her in their time of need.¡¨ Chichiri paused for breath.  
  
Tasuki rubbed Chichiri¡¦s hand, unable to say anything.  
  
¡§But I found out from Hikou that the reason was because he had stolen a kiss and embrace from her. She was such a proper girl that she felt obliged to break our engagement because of that.¡¨ Chichiri closed his eye. ¡§So I needed to come here to make my peace with her before I could reveal myself to you.¡¨  
  
Chichiri squeezed Tasuki¡¦s hand. ¡§But I could feel her presence this past day and I felt she heard me and that she was happy for me. I spent all afternoon with her and I told her all about you and why I loved you.¡¨  
  
Tasuki leaned forward to snuggle against the older man¡¦s neck, sighing contentedly as the scent of Chichiri drifted up his nose. ¡§So why do ya love me?¡¨  
  
Again the pure sound of Chichiri¡¦s laughter. ¡§How could I not love you? You¡¦re so hot-tempered and full of life, always getting yourself into trouble, but so caring of those that matter to you. You¡¦ll do anything for those that you want to protect. And such kawaii little fangs!¡¨ [1]  
  
¡§Ee! Kawaii fangs! Take that back!¡¨ Tasuki decided to show Chichiri what he thought of that comment as he used said fangs to bite gently, but firmly on Chichiri¡¦s neck.  
  
¡§Don¡¦t start something you can¡¦t finish,¡¨ was the low reply and then Tasuki found himself on his back with Chichiri looming above him.  
  
Tasuki closed his eyes waiting for Chichiri¡¦s retribution, but when there was no motion after a few seconds he re-opened his eyes.  
  
Chichiri was just gazing down at him with the most radiantly happy expression that he¡¦d ever seen on the monk. ¡§Tasuki-kun, I love you.¡¨  
  
¡§I love you too.¡¨ Tasuki replied instantly and he knew he had the silliest smile on his face, but that was okay, because Chichiri¡¦s was a mirror of his own.  
  
¡§Now how should I punish a naughty little kitten with teeth no da?¡¨  
  
¡§Oi Chiri!¡¨  
  
¡§...¡¨  
  
¡§Kami-sama...¡¨ Tasuki panted, ¡§Don¡¦t stop...¡¨  
  
  
  
~ Owari ~  
  
  
  
[1] Gomen! That¡¦s my fangirl bias! Love the fangs, so Chiri¡¦s gotta love them too!  
  
  
  
So how was it? Good, bad, ugly? Please let me know what you think! 


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